Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

Friday, November 27, 2009

New Zealand is a land of unique wildlife and unspoiled scenic beauty.From the rocky shore to dense rain-forests, from braided riverbeds to alpine meadows, this guide takes the reader on a journey of discovery. It is a guide to the flora and fauna of our amazing country.

As Helen Blair so correctly says in her introduction "we’re lucky in New Zealand, spoiled, in fact, when it comes to the sheer breadth of opportunities to experience wildlife and wild places. Where else could you encounter animals, evolved through millions of years of isolation, as unique and wonderful as the kiwi or the tuatara? Or tramp through unspoiled forest, hearing the melodic sounds of native birdsong in the canopy of forest giants above and the music of a rushing mountain stream below?"

Wild Encounters is a complete guide to more than twenty of the best nature experiences New Zealand has to offer. Each entry contains maps, travel details and what to see and do, all accompanied by beautiful photography. It contains all the information one needs to discover the wildlife in places as diverse as Great Barrier Island, Tongariro, Taiaroa Head, Mt.Richmond Forest Park, and Kaikoura.I found the section dealing with Tawharanui (a comfortable 90 minutes drive north of Auckland) especially interesting, and encouraging too in terms of the increasing number and variety of sea and bird life.

About the author Forest & Bird is New Zealand’s longest-serving conservation organisation, formed in 1923 in response to widespread extinction of native species and destruction of our native forests. Since it was formed, Forest & Bird has played an active role in preserving New Zealand’s environment and native species, and now has more than 30,000 members. The organisation has helped establish protection for a third of our country’s land in parks and reserves, put an end to logging of our native forests and aided in bringing species such as the kakapo and kokako back from the brink of extinction.For more information, please go to: www.forestandbird.org.nz